• The US now permits South Korean workers to enter under short-term visas and a visa waiver program.
• This change follows a significant immigration raid at a Hyundai facility in Georgia.
• South Korea continues to advocate for broader access to specialty worker visas.

The United States has agreed to allow South Korean workers to engage in setup activities at US investment sites using short-term visas and a visa waiver program, as confirmed by Seoul's foreign ministry. This decision comes in the wake of a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor car battery facility in Georgia, where hundreds of South Korean workers were arrested, causing public outrage in South Korea over the treatment of its citizens during the incident, which included reports of workers being shackled, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and India Times.

The US has proposed enabling South Korean workers to use B-1 short-term business visas or the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to install and repair equipment necessary for their projects. However, officials made no significant commitments regarding broader access to specialty visas, which South Korea has long sought, as stated by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau during the discussions in Washington. The South Korean foreign ministry indicated that improving access would face "practical legislative constraints," as indicated by the ongoing frustrations in Seoul about insufficient action from the US on visa reforms, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

Despite the US agreement to permit South Korean companies to use existing visa options to send workers, there remains a lack of a clear long-term solution for enhancing the visa program for skilled workers. South Korean companies have relied heavily on short-term visas for years, but this new development does not fully address the need for a dedicated visa category to facilitate greater access for skilled technicians. The US is under pressure to respond adequately to South Korea's requests as both nations aim to fortify their economic partnership, according to India Times and South China Morning Post.